


Everblooming

by Lady_Clara



Category: Natsume Yuujinchou | Natsume's Book of Friends
Genre: Comfort, Developing Relationship, Family Dinners, First Kiss, Fluff, Friendship, Friendship/Love, Getting Together, M/M, Mutual Pining, Slice of Life, Touch-Starved, Vacation
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-11-23
Updated: 2021-01-03
Packaged: 2021-03-10 02:01:57
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 2,621
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27675740
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Lady_Clara/pseuds/Lady_Clara
Summary: As the seasons change, the bond Natsume and Tanuma share blossoms into something beautiful.
Relationships: Natsume Takashi/Tanuma Kaname
Comments: 10
Kudos: 40





	1. Autumn

**Author's Note:**

> Hi there! This fic is made up of little vignettes showcasing Tanuma and Natsume’s bond as it develops throughout the seasons. Each standalone chapter represents a different season of the year. Thanks for reading, and I hope you enjoy it!

At his Aunt Satomi’s countryside inn, Tanuma lays out two futons next to one another in the guest room he and Natsume are sharing, taking extra care to make one of them look as comfortable and presentable as possible. With great focus, he tucks the fitted sheet evenly over the four corners, neatly folds the quilted blanket over it, and fluffs the pillow at the head.

When he feels like he has done a satisfactory job, he sits on his heels at the base of the futon to survey his work. He doesn’t care that his ankles are sore from all the sightseeing they did today. It has been a wonderful though brief vacation, and he’s going to remember everything about it – from the kindness Natsume showed the youkai they met on their hike to the reflection of festival fireworks he saw in Natsume’s eyes – for the rest of his life.

A stray wrinkle in the blanket catches his attention, and he smoothes it out while the fluttery feeling in his heart builds. He loses himself in thoughts of how nice it would be to have the pleasure of setting up a futon every night for the one he cares about so deeply. He would be able to make sure his best friend is always comfortable, always getting enough rest.

Most importantly, he would be able to make sure his best friend always knows his presence is wanted and appreciated.

The door to the guest room slides open, pulling him out of his reverie. In walks a pajama-clad, yawning Natsume with Nyanko-sensei in tow.

Tanuma’s heart flips at the sight of his best friend, casual and unguarded in his presence. Acquiring this much of Natsume’s trust is no simple achievement. To have it is the sweetest gift, one Tanuma will never take for granted. One he will hold dear in his heart forever.

Natsume blinks to alertness and looks over at the futon. Tanuma hopes he did a good enough job setting it up, but he’s second-guessing himself now that Natsume’s eyes are drifting across it.

“Ah, you didn’t have to go through all the trouble of doing that. I would have helped you.”

“It wasn’t any trouble,” Tanuma says, scratching the back of his head on a reflex.

“In any case, thank you.” Natsume kneels down next to the futon laid out for him and runs a hand down the blanket. “It looks really inviting after a full day of activities.”

The smile Natsume gives him is the best thanks of all. It makes Tanuma melt with relief (and maybe a hint of something else).

Nyanko-sensei flops down at the base of Natsume’s futon with an egregious yawn and immediately falls asleep. Tanuma guesses he partied too hard with the other youkai at the festival.

“We should get some rest, too,” he says once he notices the dark circles under his friend’s eyes.

Natsume agrees. He lifts a corner of the blanket up - carefully, so as not to disturb Nyanko-sensei's slumber - and slides into the futon. The futon _Tanuma_ _arranged for him._

Doing his best to calm a heart that’s fluttering like the golden leaves floating in the wind this time of year, Tanuma follows suit and curls into his own adjacent futon, pulling the blanket over his neck to combat the chill of autumn seeping in. He tends to be nervous and on alert in the company of others, but here beside Natsume, he feels relaxed, at ease. His shoulders release their tension and his body sinks into the futon. He hopes Natsume feels relaxed, too.

It’s silent in the room save for the rustling of red-tinged trees outside. Tanuma realizes they haven’t bid each other goodnight yet. Is it too late? Will he be waking Natsume up if he says it?

He turns his head slowly in the direction of the neighboring futon and feels heat flush his cheeks when he is met with Natsume’s gaze already on him.

“Ah, sorry!” Natsume says in wide-eyed panic. “I was just remembering the time we helped out at this inn during the autumn festival a few years ago.” His face softens. “It was really nice. I’m grateful you invited me back here.”

Tanuma would gladly invite him back any year, any week, any day. He remembers their last visit well. He thinks about it often, about how happy Ito-san looked when he introduced her to Natsume. Somehow, he got the feeling she could sense that with Natsume, he had finally found someone with whom he could share a deep bond. That had made Ito-san happy, and it made Tanuma, happy, too.

As enjoyable as that visit was, however, he is happy this one has passed without any haunting encounters or fevers so far.

“One day, I might be an official employee at this inn,” he finds himself saying quietly into the dark of the room. It has always been a possibility. Aunt Satomi said she would be happy to give him a job here. “Since there are youkai in the area, I was thinking I could add on a special room just for them.”

Natsume turns fully onto his side and faces Tanuma, looking intrigued. Behind him, Tanuma can see the outline of leaves drifting off the trees outside the screened walls. The backdrop makes Natsume look even more ethereal than usual. “An inn for humans and youkai,” he comments. His voice is whisper-soft. Tanuma wishes he could bottle up the sound of it. “That’s a nice idea.”

“You could visit any time,” Tanuma adds on quickly. “You’d always be welcome here.”

“I’d like that. Maybe we could even – ” Natsume yawns, and then continues quietly, “ – run it together.”

“Together?” Tanuma repeats, but it appears Natsume has fallen asleep.

He tries not to indulge in the idea of running the inn with his dearest friend, but it’s too lovely an idea to let go. He envisions them preparing meals for guests side-by-side in the kitchen, sweeping the autumn leaves off the walkways with elbows occasionally bumping, sitting out on the _engawa_ and watching as the festival lights dance on the nearby mountain…the kinds of quiet activities they crave.

A peaceful life for them, Nyanko-sensei included.

His eyelids grow heavy at the thought. What a nice future that would be.

For now, though, just getting the opportunity to visit the inn with Natsume in the rich beauty of autumn is a great privilege.


	2. Winter

Natsume has never seen Tanuma look so nervous. His eyes are glossed over, his mouth is drawn tight, and his arms are stiff at his sides. Nevertheless, instead of dwelling on it too much, Natsume steps into the entrance of the Fujiwara residence and announces his return.

Touko-san comes rushing over wearing an apron. “Welcome home!” she greets, and then turns to their guest for the evening. “Hello, Tanuma-kun. It’s so nice to see you again.”

Tanuma bows (rigidly, Natsume notes. Like steel trying its hardest to bend). “Thank you for welcoming me into your home.” He sounds sincere, but almost a little robotic, like he rehearsed that sentence many times beforehand.

Touko-san gives him a warm smile. “I’m so glad you could join us for dinner. Please, take off your coats and follow me to the kitchen.”

Tanuma has been to the Fujiwara residence a handful of times, but this is the first time he’s sitting down to dinner with all of them. Natsume wants to tell him the Fujiwaras are nice people he can relax around, but he doesn’t want to embarrass him by drawing attention to how nervous he seems.

Shigeru-san is in the kitchen helping Touko-san arrange the place settings when they enter. “Ah, hello!” he greets with a smile.

Tanuma bows again. “Thank you for welcoming me into your home.”

Natsume thinks if he had recorded both of Tanuma’s greetings and played them back-to-back, they would have sounded identical. He really wishes he could quell whatever is causing Tanuma’s anxiety.

Then he comes to a realization: Tanuma is nervous because he _cares_. He _cares_ about dining with the Fujiwaras and making a good impression because he knows how important they are to Natsume. As a result, Natsume himself is starting to see this dinner in a different light.

“Please, sit.” Shigeru-san motions to the table and chairs. Natsume and Tanuma follow.

Touko-san’s meals are always delicious and wonderfully presented, but Natsume can tell she went out of her way to make tonight’s dinner even more special. There’s _dagojiru_ soup with dumplings and a plethora of winter vegetables in miso broth, fried lotus roots, rice, and an abundance of shrimp.

Under the table, Natsume can see that Nyanko-sensei already has a shrimp in his mouth. No surprises there.

“I really appreciate this,” Tanuma says as he takes the seat offered to him. “Your cooking looks and smells amazing.”

“Don’t mention it,” Touko-san says kindly. “It’s a joy to be able to have a dear friend of Takashi-kun over for dinner.”

“Very much so,” Shigeru-san adds.

Tanuma’s ears turn red. “Ah. Thank you.”

Once all four of them are seated (with Nyanko-sensei still chewing on his shrimp under the table), they dig in.

“Make sure you eat plenty of the soup,” Touko-san advises. “It will help prevent a winter cold.”

Pleasant conversation fills the room as the dinner progresses. Touko-san and Shigeru-san ask Tanuma questions about what he has been up to since graduating high school, about his and Natsume’s autumn trip to his aunt’s inn, and how his father is doing. The questions are respectful and kind – exactly what one would expect from the Fujiwaras.

Natsume finds himself staring at Tanuma throughout the entire conversation. He has sincere eyes, a shy but honest smile. He gets along so well with the Fujiwaras. Everything he is is everything Natsume could ever ask for in a friend.

He is everything Natsume could ever ask for in a person he would gladly spend the rest of his life with.

Natsume is slowly learning to accept friendship and care from others, and throughout the years they’ve known each other, Tanuma has shown him so much kindness. Tanuma has continued to be his friend long after he has learned so many of the secrets Natsume was terrified to divulge. In fact, Tanuma has always treated their friendship like it was something precious, something to be nurtured.

It’s a big step for Natsume to be able to recognize that. And the feeling is mutual. He cares for Tanuma deeply. He wants to nurture their friendship, too. He wants to be close to Tanuma always, even if that entails overcoming the fear of letting Tanuma into his world more.

“Takashi-kun?”

Natsume snaps out of his flow of thoughts at the sound of Shigeru-san’s voice and realizes everyone at the table (minus Nyanko-sensei, who is too preoccupied with his food) is staring at him.

“Sorry!” he says in a rush. “Can you repeat that?”

“I was wondering what other travels you and Tanuma-kun would like to embark on?” Shigeru-san asks.

“Oh.” Natsume hasn’t thought about future travel plans, but now that it has been brought up, he could picture himself going everywhere with Tanuma. They could view cherry blossoms together at the castle ruins in Fukuoka, maybe go further south and take a ferry to explore the cedar forests in Yakushima, get train tickets and head east to walk the Philosopher’s Path in Kyoto…

“I’m not sure,” he says after some consideration. “I’d be happy to travel anywhere with Tanuma.”

It’s a simple truth, but it seems to jostle his friend. Tanuma almost chokes on his spoonful of soup. After taking a long gulp of water, he replies, “I feel the same way about traveling with Natsume. It’s an honor to spend time with him.”

Now it’s Natsume’s turn to run into trouble swallowing his soup. _An honor_ , he said. ‘Honor’ is a strong word.

At the end of the meal, Tanuma compliments Touko-san on her cooking once more and thanks her for the feast.

“Tanuma-kun,” Touko-san says with shining eyes. “Thank you for being friends with Takashi-kun.”

Natsume feels a flash of heat rise to his cheeks. He tells himself it’s from consuming the warm soup, but deep down, he knows it’s from hearing Touko-san say the word “friends” with the weight of importance. She is as elated about Natsume having a true, caring friend as Natsume himself is.

“Oh,” Tanuma responds quietly. “It’s no trouble. I…I really enjoy being friends with him.” He looks down into his empty soup bowl with a soft expression. “I’m grateful he is in my life.”

Natsume’s heart performs a complicated somersault.

_Tanuma_ chose _to be my friend_ , Natsume thinks to himself. _After all this time, he still_ wants _to be close to me._

“Well, we’re grateful you’re in his life,” Shigeru-san states. “I’ve heard our cat has taken a liking to you as well.”

Nyanko-sensei pops his head out from under the table the moment he hears himself come up in conversation.

Tanuma chuckles. It’s such an adorable sound, and Natsume is grateful he seems more relaxed now than he was when they first arrived to the Fujiwara’s. “I’ve taken a liking to him, too,” he says with a smile directed at Nyanko-sensei.

Nyanko-sensei shoots an appraising look at Tanuma, at Natsume, and then disappears back under the table to continue nibbling on his shrimp.

“It was a pleasure to have your company, Tanuma-kun,” Shigeru-san comments.

Touko-san clasps her hands in joy. “It was. Please come back and visit us again.”

Tanuma blushes. “Thank you. I’m grateful for your hospitality.” He motions to the dishes on the table. “Please allow me to help you clean up.”

“Absolutely not!” Touko-san exclaims. “You should head home before it gets too cold.” She stands up and hands Tanuma an insulated bottle. “Please, take this hot tea for the walk back home.”

“Oh, I couldn’t…”

“I insist.”

Natsume watches with gratitude in his heart as Touko-san treats Tanuma like he’s family.

Tanuma collects his coat at the entrance of the Fujiwara residence and slides it back on. He hunches his shoulders and recedes into the high collar of the coat a bit, something Natsume has noted that he does when he’s feeling a little shy.

“I really enjoy spending time with you and your family,” Tanuma states.

Natsume would have him over for dinner every day of the week if he could. “I’m glad you could join us. Please come over again.”

Tanuma reddens and shoves his free hand – the one not holding the thermos of tea Touko-san gave him – into his pocket. “I’d like that.”

Seeing Tanuma’s soft, sincere eyes and gentle smile, Natsume feels a pull to do _something_ – touch his cheek, hold his hand, lean up and…

Instead, he takes the scarf hanging too loosely around Tanuma’s neck and arranges it so it’ll better protect him from the cold on his way home. The slight hitch he hears in Tanuma’s breath as he does so catches him off guard.

“H-have a safe trip home,” he blurts out.

Tanuma lifts his hand, and after a few seconds of what seems like contemplation, he places it delicately on Natsume’s shoulder. Now it’s Natsume’s turn to inhale sharply.

“Thank you,” Tanuma says with all the honesty in the world, and then he’s stepping out into the winter air and rounding the corner to return home.

Natsume remains in the doorway thinking about their dinner. Thinking about how much he likes being with Tanuma.

“Takashi-kun!” Touko-san’s concerned voice calls from the kitchen. “Please come out of the cold!”

“Sorry!” Natsume calls back. He slides the door closed, but despite the chilly air, he doesn’t feel cold at all.


End file.
